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More than a century ago, Mohun Bagan won the IFA Shield in 1911 by defeating East Yorkshire Regiment in Kolkata, thereby establishing the sport as a major and widely reported pastime. Consequently, various promotional activities took place as part of the widening circle of football’s popularity and commercialization in India.
The sport expanded rapidly within the realms of popular culture and entwined with other leisure industries. Mohammedan Sporting’s Durand Cup win in 1940 and the emergence of a handful of talented players like Md Salim drove the Asian establishment to take Indian football seriously.
The World Cup qualification and the subsequent non-participation in 1950 increased football’s popularity, so much so that it became a signifier of the country and a component of the global network of sports. Subsequent growth of football as a public culture in the country added new dimensions to the game and the position was consolidated by the fourth place finish by our footballers at the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.
What the aforementioned set of events did was to instigate this interest in football amongst the masses. More and more people took to the sport, thus leading to a host of tournaments, including the prestigious Subroto Cup being initiated in the country.
Will Pele attend the Subroto Cup final?
Organised by the Indian Air Force in memory of their first Chief Marshall, the event has evolved into the single biggest spectacle in India involving teams at the junior and sub-junior level. At an interaction with the media yesterday, the Air Force Sports Control Board divulged details of what shall ensue in Delhi from September 11 to October 17 at various venues across Delhi.
“We are trying to set the benchmark this year; Subroto 2015 will see the highest-ever participation of 104 teams, including 93 from India and 11 from other parts from the world.
“Also, we will be giving away cash prizes worth 44 lakhs,” gushed Squadron Leader Shouvik Bhattacharya, one of the core members of the organizing committee.
One of the prime attractions of the event will be the participation of Santos FC in the junior boys category. Part of the agreement with them also involves getting the legendary Pele as a guest of honour for the final. While the organizers refused to confirm the same yet, they did admit that they were in advanced talks with perhaps the most iconic figure in the sport.
Needless to say, if the ‘Black Pearl’ as he was fondly referred to as, does come over, it will be quite the silver lining for what has evolved into one of the better structured amateur sporting events in our country!
